Many students can be seen walking the halls with a coffee cup in their hand, not only because they like coffee but because they need the energy and love to support their hometown coffee shops.

  “I like getting a caramel macchiato from Redwing because it’s my favorite coffee of all time, and I get to support small businesses,” senior Laney Arnett said.

   A recent poll of 82 students ranked the following coffee spots most purchased from: The Fix 38 percent, Redwing 25 percent Cosmic Cafe 15 percent McDonald’s 15 percent and a gas station 7 percent. 

   Supporting small businesses is essential to many students and staff members at WHS.

   “Small-town coffee shops hit the heart better than big-city coffee,” Coach and special education teacher Ashley Reimund said.

   “Supporting them to get their name out there and be a successful business is important,” senior Olivia Strange said.

   Some students wait all year for fall because of the seasonal drinks that come out.

    “My favorite time of year is fall because some of my favorite seasonal drinks are finally available,” freshman Haven Newell said.

   “I absolutely love getting pumpkin spice lattes from Redwing because it reminds me of my favorite time of the year, fall,” sophomore Layla Green said.

   The school set restrictions to avoid having coffee or other open drinks after breakfast to prevent spills and other messes, but those rules were lifted this year. 

   “I’m so flipping excited because coffee is my life, and now I don’t have to throw it away or transfer it into another cup,” senior Josephine Kelsey said.

 Sophomore Hailey Ferguson drinks her coffee from McDonald’s to gain energy for the long school day.

   “I decided to run through McDonald’s for a caramel macchiato because I needed energy to get through today,” she said.